The present invention is generally directed towards a brush device and more specifically is directed towards a lingual brush with an oriented bristle assembly and angled handle.
The lingual brush is important in the cleaning of the tongue. The tongue is a muscular and mobile organ which performs a number of functions such as:
1. The tasting or differentiation of flavors.
2. Moves the food towards the teeth to be chewed.
3. Provides for the deglution of food; and
4. Allows the articulation of words.
The tongue in the oral cavity is the principal habitant of microorganisms like bacteria, viruses and particles coming from the external environment, as it is directly exposed to the external environment when the mouth is opened. The tongue is also exposed to the microorganisms that come in foods with the consequent growth (development) of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria when the mouth has been closed for a long period of time as during a period of sleep.
The tongue is a muscular organ having a different cover from all other covers of the body that are in direct contact with the ambient atmosphere. The mucous membrane that covers the dorsal surface of the tongue is the perfect habitat for microorganisms that produce serious illnesses.
The body of the tongue comprises two-thirds of the tongue's length and lies horizontally in the oral cavity. Further back, near the throat, comprising one-third of its length, is the root or base of the tongue. The body of the tongue carries the lingual papillae, while the base of the tongue is covered with tonisllar tissue.
The top surface of the tongue is covered with mucosa membrane. This mucosa is characterized by the presence of numerous lingual papillae, some of which have a mechanical function (the tongue assists in the process of chewing), while others carry the specialized taste organs or taste buds.
The lingual papillae consist of large, specialized connective tissue papillae, covered with orthokeratinized stratified squamous epithelium.
The basic structure of a (specialized) connective tissue papilla is that of a conical mound (or a ridge, in the case of foliate papillae) which constitutes primary papilla. On top of the primary papilla several smaller conical peaks or ridges are present. These are the secondary papillae.
There are four types of lingual papillae namely; filiform papillae, fungiform papillae, vallate papillae, and foliate papillae.
Filiform Papillae.
These are the most abundantly present lingual papillae. They are distributed over the entire surface of the body of the tongue and are covered with a thick layer of keratinized epithelium. These papillae have a purely mechanical function, and they are the only papillae without taste buds.
Fungiform Papillae.
These papillae are far less numerous than the filiform papillae. They are distributed among the filiform papillae and show as reddish dots on the surface of the tongue. They are shaped somewhat like mushrooms. A thin, keratinized epithelium covers their surfaces. The thinness of the epithelium allows the red of the blood vessels in the connective tissue papilla to show through. This condition is responsible for the red color of these papillae. On its top surface a fungiform papilla may carry one or several taste buds.
Vallate Papillae.
These large papillae are located in a V-shaped groove at the border between the body and base of the tongue. There are only 8 to 12 of these papillae. Their shape resembles that of the fungiform papillae, but the vallate papillae are sunk somewhat below the surface of the tongue, so that they are surrounded by a groove and a low, circular wall of oral mucosa. These papillae are covered with keratinized epithelium. Several taste buds are present on the vertical (side) surface of the papilla, facing the surrounding groove.
Foliate Papillae.
These papillae are found in 4 to 11 ridges, running parallel with each other on the side of the tongue, near the tongue base and may not easily be visible clinically. They are covered with keratinized epithelium and carry several taste buds on their sides.
The deepest part of the grooves surrounding the vallate papillae and the grooves between adjacent foliate papillae contain the openings of ducts of special salivary glands, the von Ebner glands. The saliva from the glands rinses the grooves continuously to enable the taste buds to perceive several different taste stimuli in sequence.
The lingual surface thus presents, numerous small conical and mushrooms shapes, and it facilitates the accumulation of suburral material which is principally composed of food residues and bacteria. On clinical examination the suburral material can be seen as a white coat that obstructs a clean surface and the natural red color.
In addition to the above noted functions a physician can obtain significant medical information from the tongue upon observing the-lingual surface so that one can detect illnesses such as scarlet fever and pernicious anemia due to specific alterations in this region, caused by pathological entities. Current statistics also register an increase in the number of oral carcinoma cases.
The registered frequency in lingual pathology cases on which the tongue furrows and/or crypts containing deposited food residues, generally show lesions present as growth in the papillae, with sizes up to 3, 6, and/or 9 mm producing inflammation. The symptoms give a burning sensation and pain that generally decreases when the principal cause agent is eliminated A remarkable improvement in the lesions is obtained by removal of an excessive accumulation of the suburral pigmented coat.
The etiology of the different illnesses of the tongue has been attributed: poor oral hygiene, the habit of smoking, the use of antibiotics, exposure to radiations (hospital patients), and to systemic factors.
Furthermore the suburral material is the principal cause of the poor oral breath and hinders the function of the tongue as a sensual organ.
Therefore it is of great importance to do a correct and adequate cleaning of the tongue with a specific instrument called a lingual brush. Such an instrument allows the removal the greatest possible quantity of suburral material, the remainder being removed away through the natural self-cleaning mechanism, which in the case of the tongue, is carried out by the vallate papillae which only exist in a limited number.
Unfortunately the population does not engage in daily tongue hygiene due principally to the fact that a specific instrument for conducting this hygiene is not available. Only an almost nonexistent minority of the population carries out this practice, primarily by employing a regular toothbrush that, as its name suggests, has been designed for the teeth that have hard surfaces and are structurally different to the lingual organ.
Several patents have been directed towards lingual brushes and an attempt to provide instruments which can be used by the general public. A pertinent prior art lingual hygiene brush is shown in Guatemalan Patent Number MU-89001 in which a flat headed rectangular shaped brush head is mounted on a rounded oblong handle which extends at a 15.degree. angle from the horizontal axis of the brush head. The handle defines an aperture at one end allowing the lingual brush to be hung from a hook or a support and the brush head is provided with a plurality of bristles aligned in rows along the brush head. Another lingual brush is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,197 in which a flat brush body is formed with an elongated handle having a rounded end. The handle has a decreased width in the neck area leading to a brush head provided with rows of short bristles. A semi-rigid scrapper component is provided on the front edge of the distal end of the brush head. The bristles are triangularly shaped with each bristle having a larger head decreasing in size as it extends down to the stem of the bristle which is embedded in the plastic material of the head. A combined toothbrush, tongue scraper and ear cleaner device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,254,356. In this patent a flat brush body is provided at one end with a elongated rectangular head having a plurality of bristles secured thereto in rows while the handle end is provided with a ball-like knob which is semi-spherical for use in cleaning an ear canal. The handle portion is flexible allowing the body to bend. U.S. Pat. No. 4,079,478 shows a tongue brush with a flat head and a handle that angles outward into a pistol type grip. The brush is provided with a removable fibrous cleaning member which can be slidably mounted in the brush head allowing the fibrous material to then be rubbed back and forth against the tongue. Another tongue cleaning device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,943,592 in which a flat tongue depressor type body is coated at one end with a base fabric having flexible hooks which are commonly referred to under the trademark VELCO.RTM. type hooks.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,651,068 and 2,574,654 disclose tongue cleaners having a tooth brush type head and bristle assembly mounted on one end the body and a scrapper structure mounted on the other end of the brush handle. U.S. Pat. No. 2,583,750; 2,543,999; 2,491,274; and 697,336 are directed to tongue scrapers provided respectively with scrapping ridges, sharp scrapping edges, U-shaped body having an upper surface with a knife edge and a lower face provided with bristles, and a single piece of synthetic foam sponge material.